Brake for centrifugal machines



Oct. 11, 1932. E. ROBERTS BRAKE FOR CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES Filed April 23, 1929' 2 Sheets-Shet 1,

Jrzven Z222 WWW , wan r7163 BRAKE FOR GENTRIFUGAL MACHINES Filed April 23, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 drawings mechanism. p I l a a Fig. 2 is a frontview in elevation ofthe Patented 0a. 11,1932.

EUGENE ROBERTS, or nasrmssnnw'YoRnjAssreNon 'ro'v THE WEST N 's'rArEs MACHINE COMPANY, or SALT LAKECITY, 'UTAH, A'COR20RATION/ OF UTAH A BRAKE non"cnn'rnrnusAnivmcnmns- Application filed Apri123,1929. Serial K0 351502;

. This invention relates to brake mechanism for centrifugal machines of thesuspended gyratory type and. is intended to provide a simple and efiicient construction and arrange- 5 ment for-effecting the stopping of. the ceng; trifugal within any desired predetermined period of time. v A

Generally speaking, the inventlonfcompris es, in combination with a suspended gyratory m centrifugal having a brake pulley adj acent to V its suspension "point an external brake bandwhose fulcral portion is movable inwardlytoward the'brake pulley by the brakesettlngand contracting mechanism against outwardyielding v nism embracing an actuatlng sprlng having resistance, the brake setting mechatensioning adjustment and. manually operablemeans for releasing the brake. against.

the brake actuating spring, and means for re.-

leasably latching the brake actuating mechanism against actuation by the spring, Arirangements are also provided for s'efiectively maintaining the friction surfaces of"th e brake shoes in proper-condition to apply l1I11- form brakin'gfriction against the brake-p111 ley when the brake is set :Theseand other features of the invention willlbe particularly des'cribedlin the following specificationvand will be defined in the claims'hereto'annexed. v

In the accompanying drawings I have il-' lustrated a' constructionr'and arrangement of b-rake'mechanism in association with asus pended gyratory centrifugal which embodies I the principles of this inventiom in which :Fig. 1- isia "side elevation- V verical'central section showing the upper part of; the cen}; I V trifugal suspended in its supporting hanger the brake actuating in association with same centrifugal and brake mechanism.

latch. ,7

Fig. 5 18 a 6;which spindle has securedto it asufsp'enj With the ducts or passages forapplying:dress-' -v ing to the brake, pad carried thereby. I I Heretoforc, ithas been customary insugar centrifugal practice for the operator toap ply "the brake by hand,v usually 'tthrough brake-expanding toggle levers whichfwheir brake shoes against? the interiorv ofthe brake tain a uniform action of the brake by provid-. ing an r ngement and 'comstructio'n by moved to dead centerposition, forced-the I .pulley and heldthempositively in that posiwhich a spring actuated spindle is' held ;un der predetermined 'but variable tension forcontracting an external brake upon the brake pulley that is securedto the gyratory shaft of the centrifugal.

Furthermore, uniform I friction is maintained by keeping thebrake pads'in proper condition to exert theirmax imum friction by arranging'at the advance or forward end, rotatably speaking, of .eac'h brake'pad a reservoir or grease cup provided with wicking anddischarging intoildistribut ing ducts, through which theliquidor' semi- F liquid dressing-is distributed along thebrake s pads, v: s :1; 'IIJTILICD "53" In'the practice of the invention,"as illus trated in the drawings, a socketed 'centrifugal suspension hanger of w elliknown type afior dsa spherical bearing seatiforqthe sus pension of; a v gyratory, non-rotating spindle? 8 5 sion=ball or head 6.? adaptedto be seated in the socket of'the hanger 'to gyrate against, a

' centralizing yieldingvloufiei"v 6}, "but without rotation. The centrifugal shaftT3 h"avirrg an enlarged upper-rend portion,-is rotatably supported on the spindle by meansofa thrust v roller-bearing 18b and radial" rollerbearings 3 'int'erpo'sed between suitable racernenib'ers" 0IIlIlgS.'

-The centrifugal shaft 1 3, of course; carries;

at' ,its lower*end the centrifugal separator I driven pulley 4, the latteribeing'"located V detachably s r i a secured aspidermifor supportinglafiylin :deta1l showing in perspective so the forward; end portion of the brake band around and in the plane of the spherical bearing suspension ball.

Extending downward from one'side of the hanger is a brake supporting element 2 in the form of a bar ,cletachably bolted to the hanger, as shown at 2 This bar isshaped to extenddownlthrough a vertical slot or opening in the fulcral block or member-l9 of the brake. At its lower end this brake supporting member is providedwith a nut and washer, as shown at' 2", to prevent the fulcral part of the brake from slipping down. The form of brake shown herein comprises an arcuate band 8,to whose middle or rear portion is secured a fulcral block or member 9 havinga vertical passage or opening 'adapted to rece ve the brake suspendlng member 2 and proportioned 'to' allow inward and outward play ofthe fulcral portionlof'the brake .onits suspendingmember 2;; 'Normally,

when the brake is not in action; atransverse compression spring 9*, adjustably tensioned by a screwplug 9, acts'to exert a variable outward thrust on the fulcral portion-of the brake,vtherebyshifting the'brake when -unw contracting-out of contact with the brake" pulley and maintaining itaout of such contact. r ,z

At its forward ends thebrake band 8' is secured to ear pieces or blocks 11, in which are pivotally mountedhorizontal links 13,-

whose' adjacent ends-are pivotally connected to. diametrically opposed pins secured to the lower enlarged end of the brake actuating spindle 14 on opposite sides of the central axis thereof. These actuating links aremade in threaded justmenti -The vertical extension 1% of th fixed hanger train-a has securedto its upperrend asrotatably adjust-- able spring anchoring nut 15 provided with an ofl center anchoring pin 15 adapted-t0 engage ,andhold' the upper hookedend of a helical torsion spring 16. The lower hooked end of the torsion spring-is anchored upon an. anchoring pin 16 carried in:the fixed hanger 1 1.- A spacing sleeve 17 is interposed between V the torsion spring 'and thefspindle and 'acts to sustain the-Weightqof thef'spindle against a downward displacement-Lt'hr'oug., h its engage Y 7 sired degre ment withthe ustable nut 15; 1 a 1 -;Splin'ed on the spindle at. 18 is a collar 18' provided with fa forwardly projecting arm or lever-.19, by wh'ichthe spindle maybe ro-' tated against the tension of the spring toun set or release thewbrake; A latc-h 20. is ar ranged to engage a notch orslot in the for ward-end of a. stop block 22 secured toothe front of the hanger; The latch is released a: bya hand-grip or pull;21,-whichlisflnOrrnallyT retracted to locking position by the retractile v gThe torsion spring '16, duetoi-its fixed-an? parts to facilitate -lengthwise' ads brake; actuating spindle for? shaft 14 is rotatably mountedina downward of the brake bandfon oppositesides of the pulley. I

Thebrake actuating spring may be set at any desired tension so that it will have a predetermined period; of action which will be uniform for the same setting in bringing the centrifugal to rest, thereby making it possible ='t0 determine just what the duration ofthe brakingperiod shall :beinthe whole cycle of centrifugal machine operation. 'To maintain thezbrakepads in uniform frictional condition, iI:'-pIOVi(le means for supplying a liquid, or semi-liquid, dressing tothe brake pads.v -Themeans shown comprise grease oupssor receptacles 12 secured 'to theoutside of theibrake band and-locatedat the advance orforwardend of each brake pad, considered with reference to the clockwise rotation of the i a centrifugal. The interior surface of *the brake band -8, subtending the brake pad, is. provided witha small distributing groove or channel 12 into Which the dressing may seep through thedistributing ports. or perforations' '12; Preferably wicking is. disposed inside'of the main receptacle 12 toavoid too rapid-distribution of the dressing.

-- When the -machine is'about "to be started,

the b ake is relieved ior unset-by. throwing .a

1 the lever 19*0ver until'the latch'20 is inpo'si i stop member 225 This acts to wind up the brake actuating-"spring under further tension while expanding'the-brake band and at the same time allows the fulcral or rear portion ofthe brake to move back-ward under the thrust :of' the tion to engage the notch in the compression spring 9 awayfrom contact with theipulley 5, 'so that by the expansion of the-brake'it is'completely disengaged from the'brakepulley'. Thisis the-position of'the brake shownin the various views. a

of the brake I pulley.

*By mounting the brake so thatlboth itsfi middle or fulcral portion and its'free'end's are movable towardiiand away from the brake pulley, the brake may be arranged somewhat 'b hc n o gym-ion without; dis turbing or interferring' with the pnoperflg tion- 'ofthe centrifugal, because it is free to follow-the slight gyr'atory' movement of the- ',pulley to this point without losing its fric tion'aligrip on the pulley. "The links incon junction with-the floatingor movable fuloral I 4 On the other hand, the mere releasing. of the latch 20 allows the brake setting spring 16 .to setorr contract the brake with the dee of pressurenpon the periphery llil ' assets? support, provide a three-point suspension .7 for the brake that permits the slight gyration necessary tov permit the brake to perfect- -ly accommodate itself to the oscillation of the gyrating brake pulley. v And this I be ugal practice.

WhatIclaim is: 1. A brake fora gyratory suspended centrifugal embracing in combination with a lieve tobe also a new feature in sugar centrifbrake pulley secured to thecentrifugal shaft, 7 a surrounding brake band whose fulcral portion is loosely supported to permit inward.

movement toward the brake against opposed spring resistance, a spring-actuated vertical revoluble-spindle having link connection with V the free ends of the brake band to contract 1 the brake band upon the pulley, means for 3 "the brake tending normally vto tuating spring.

vtrifugal embracing in combination unsetting the brake and at the same time increasing the tension of said spring, and releasable means for holding the brake at inactive position against the tension of its ac- 2. A brake for a gyratory suspended cenwith a brake pulley that is secured to the centrifugal, a vertical brake-supporting member, a brake band having its free ends pivotallyconnected with actuating links, a vertical brake-actuating rotatable spindle to which the adjacent ends of the 7 links are attache d, ,the fulcral; portion of said brake being vertically slotted to loosely receive and be sustainedby a vertical supporting member, and means exerting a yielding thrust between said vertical supportingmember and the fulcralportion of move the fulcralportion of the brakeoutwardly from the pulley,

I with the pulley.

" loosely .mountedon athree-point suspension, means for contracting the brake band into 3. Albrake fora gyratory suspendedcentrifugal embracing in combination with a brake pulley secured to the vertical gyratory centrifugal shaft, a surrounding brake band frictional engagement with the pulley while allowingthe brake band as a whole to accommodate itself to the gyratory-movements of the pulley.

V nally disposed brake V tical spindlefiexibly connected with tracting rotation of. the spindle when the spindle is released, means tension ofsaid' torsion spring, and means for returning the brake spindle to brake opening l. Abrake for a trifugal embracing in combination a brake gyratory' suspended cen- 'dle is rotated in one direction, a torsion sprmg surroundingsaid spindleto cause brake confor varying the 7 while allowing inward movementto ward the pulleywhenthe'br'akeis contracted by the spindle into frictional engagement untilreleased; .7 r 1 5. A brake for a gyratory, suspended cenposition and for retaining it such positiontrifugal embracing an; annular bandloosely fulcrumedlat its rniddle portion to permit in "andout and tilting movement, pivotal brake contracting andexpandinglink's attached re spctively to the freeends of the brake and having their adjacent ends connected with a verticalspring actuatedspindle, and a spring 7 arranged to normallyi move the fulcral part of the brake outward away from an internal pulley. while. permitting that portion of the brake to moveinward when the free ends are contracted to brake setting position.

6. A brake for acentrifugal'embracing in its construction an annular brake band adapted to partly encircle an internally disposed brake pulley, the middle fulcral portion of said band being provided with a supporting member that is slotted to loosely receive and be supported by amember depending from the centrifugal hanger, a thrust spring mounted in the fulcral member ofth-e brake band to yieldingly exertan outward thrust thereon, and brake actuating links connectedwith the free ends of the brake band and also I 2 connected with abrake actuatingrspindle.

7; A brake band for a brake of the class described, embracing in its construction a radially' slotted fulcral member secured to the middle portion of the band, arcuate' brake pads secured to the inside of the brake band I, l

on opposite sides of an internallydisposed brake pulley, receptaclessecured to the outside. of the brake band opposite the forward end portion of each brake pad, said band groove subtending' each brake pad, said groove havlngcommun cat on at 1ts forward end wlth SZLlCl'IGCBPtLClE to provide for the distribution of dressing carried by the recep- V l tacle.

8. A brake for. a suspended -centrif'ug'alembracing in combination with a pulley secured to the rotary centrifugal shaft, a hori-- "zontal brake band having a fulcral member intermediate of its ends loosely mounted on a fixed postdepending from the centrifugal hanger, a spring interposed between'theoutbeing provided withan internal distributing er face of said post and said fulcral member tonorinally thrust the fulcrum away from V the brake pulley band, actuatinglinkssecured c l to thcj'f re e ends of saidband and connected with a rotatable vertical spindle, atorsion" spring secured to said spindle to normallycontractflthe brake'band against the pulley,

and manually controlled means for, expanding and locking said brake band in expanded position.

9. Abrake mechanism fora gyratory sus pended centrifugal embracinga brake pulley,

an externalbrake band encircling said pulley in a planebelow the suspensioncenterof the 7 7 centrifugahsaid brake band beingsupported izo intermediate of itsiends on'a radially movable crum normally from the brake pulley, and band expanding and contracting links piyotally connected to the free ends of the band and having their above specification.

pressed outward away EUG riE ROBERTS.) 

